Our Teachers & Fair Pay Philosophy

The Music School Industry’s Dirty Secret

Traditional music schools operate on an exploitative model: they pay teachers 15-25% of tuition while keeping 75-85% for “overhead, marketing, and administrative costs.” A student pays $100 for a lesson; the teacher who actually taught that lesson takes home $20-25. This model is unsustainable for professional musicians and ultimately hurts students who don’t receive the quality instruction they deserve.

At Kalman Music, we reject this approach entirely.

The Kalman Cooperative Model

Teachers Earn 87% of Tuition

In our musician-led cooperative, teachers receive 87% of what students pay. When a student pays $90 for a 60-minute in-home lesson, the teacher earns approximately $78. We keep just 13% for actual operational costs—payment processing, scheduling software, insurance, and minimal administrative overhead.

This isn’t charity or idealism. It’s economics: fair pay attracts and retains exceptional teachers, which creates better educational outcomes for students.

Why This Matters for Students

When teachers earn fairly, students benefit through:

1. Professional Performing Musicians as Teachers Our model allows active performers—musicians playing at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, and venues throughout NYC—to teach sustainably. They don’t need to choose between their performing careers and teaching; they can do both.

2. Lower Turnover = Better Relationships Teachers who earn fairly don’t burn out or leave for better opportunities. Students build long-term relationships with instructors who know their goals, challenges, and progress intimately.

3. Experienced, Qualified Instructors We can recruit conservatory graduates, established performers, and experienced educators who won’t work for exploitative wages. Traditional schools often hire whoever will accept low pay—we hire the best musicians in NYC.

4. Intrinsic Motivation Teachers who feel valued and fairly compensated teach with genuine enthusiasm. They’re not resentful or counting down minutes—they’re invested in your success.

5. Competitive Pricing for Students Our lean operational model means we don’t need to charge premium prices. Our rates ($90/60min in-home, $80/60min studio) are competitive with corporate music schools—but students get far better instruction because teachers actually earn sustainable wages.

Who We Hire (and Who We Don’t)

Our Teacher Selection Criteria

Professional Performance Experience All Kalman teachers are active performing musicians. They play concerts, tour, record, collaborate, and maintain careers as artists. Music isn’t just what they teach—it’s what they live.

Conservatory Training (Typically) Most hold degrees from:

• The Juilliard School
• Manhattan School of Music
• The New School - College of Performing Arts
• Berklee College of Music
• Eastman School of Music
• New England Conservatory
• Other top programs

While not mandatory, conservatory training signals serious musical study and pedagogical knowledge.

Teaching Experience & Skill Performance ability doesn’t automatically make someone a great teacher. We seek instructors who:

• Communicate clearly and patiently
• Adapt to different learning styles
• Build positive student relationships
• Create structured, progressive curricula
• Genuinely enjoy teaching

Specialization We match teachers to students carefully. Jazz students get jazz specialists. Kids get teachers experienced with children. Classical students get classical experts. This intentional matching creates better educational outcomes.

Alignment with Our Values Teachers must believe in:

• Inclusive, accessible music education
• Fair pay for educators
• Personalized, student-centered teaching
• Music as enrichment, not just skill development

Who We Don’t Hire

Recent College Graduates with No Performance Experience Teaching shouldn’t be a fallback for musicians who can’t “make it” performing. We want teachers who actively choose both performing and teaching.

Teachers Who View Students as Income, Not People Some instructors treat students transactionally—showing up, going through motions, collecting payment. We want teachers genuinely invested in student progress.

Instructors Who Can’t Adapt Rigid teachers who insist “my way or the highway” don’t work in our personalized education model.

Anyone Who Won’t Respect Our Cooperative Model Teachers must value fair pay for themselves AND their colleagues, support our lean operational approach, and prioritize students over profit extraction.

How the Cooperative Works

Teacher Autonomy & Support

Curriculum Freedom Teachers design personalized curricula for each student. We don’t mandate method books, require specific repertoire, or enforce standardized testing. Teachers are professionals—we trust their expertise.

Scheduling Control Teachers set their own availability and manage their own schedules. We provide booking infrastructure but don’t dictate when teachers must work.

Direct Student Relationships Teachers build relationships directly with students and families. We facilitate connections but don’t insert ourselves as intermediaries.

Kalman Provides

Student Acquisition We handle marketing, web presence, SEO, and lead generation so teachers can focus on teaching.

Administrative Infrastructure Scheduling software, payment processing, insurance, legal compliance—we handle operational necessities.

Support & Community Teachers have colleagues to consult, share resources, and build community. You’re not isolated as an independent teacher, but you’re not exploited like at corporate schools.

Fair Compensation Structure Transparent, sustainable pay that respects teachers’ expertise and time.

Comparing Models: Kalman vs. Traditional Schools

The Philosophy Behind Fair Pay

Musicians Deserve Sustainable Careers

NYC is expensive. To live here as a working musician, you need sustainable income from teaching, performing, and other musical work. Exploitative teaching wages force musicians to choose: teach and struggle financially, or abandon teaching entirely.

We believe musicians shouldn’t have to make that choice. Fair teaching compensation allows musicians to maintain performing careers (which makes them better teachers) while earning a living wage.

Education Should Benefit Educators and Students

Traditional corporate models extract value from both teachers (who earn little) and students (who pay much) to benefit investors and administrators. We reject this extraction.

Our cooperative model benefits:

• Teachers: Fair wages, autonomy, respect
• Students: Better instruction, lower costs, personalized education
• Music community: Sustainable ecosystem for music education

Transparency Builds Trust

We’re open about our compensation model because we believe transparency builds trust. Students know teachers are fairly compensated. Teachers know the business isn’t exploiting them. This alignment creates a healthier educational environment.

Our Teachers’ Backgrounds

Performance Venues Include:

• Lincoln Center (NYC)
• Carnegie Hall (NYC)
• The Blue Note (NYC)
• Smalls Jazz Club (NYC)
• National Sawdust (NYC)
• (Le) Poisson Rouge (NYC)
• Joe’s Pub (NYC)
• International tours and festivals

Educational Background: Degrees from Juilliard, MSM, Berklee, Yale, Eastman, New England Conservatory, The New School, Manhattan School of Music, and other prestigious programs.

Teaching Experience: 5-20+ years teaching students from beginners to conservatory-bound, children through adults, across all styles and instruments.

Specializations: Jazz, classical, pop, rock, musical theater, improvisation, composition, music theory, ear training, audition prep, and more.

Why This Model Works

Economic Sustainability By keeping overhead minimal and paying teachers fairly, we create a sustainable business model. We’re not trying to maximize profit margins—we’re trying to provide excellent education sustainably.

Quality Attracts Quality Fair pay attracts exceptional teachers, which attracts committed students, which creates positive word-of-mouth, which sustains the business. It’s a virtuous cycle.

Aligned Incentives When teachers earn fairly, their success aligns with student success. Happy students continue lessons, refer friends, and write positive reviews—all of which benefit teachers directly.

Questions About Our Model

If teachers earn 87%, how do you stay in business?

We keep costs minimal. No fancy offices, minimal staff, lean operations. The 13% covers payment processing (~3%), insurance, software, and small administrative costs. We don’t need to extract profit for investors.

Could teachers just teach independently and keep 100%?

They could—but independent teaching requires marketing, student acquisition, scheduling, payment collection, and administrative work. Many teachers prefer focusing on teaching while we handle operational infrastructure. The 13% is the cost of that support.

Are students paying more because teachers earn more?

No! Our rates ($90/60min in-home, $80/60min studio) are competitive with or lower than corporate schools that pay teachers 15-25%. We’re not charging premium prices—we’re just not extracting excessive profit.

Do all teachers earn exactly 87%?

Teachers on our cooperative model earn 87%. (Some teachers work on slightly different arrangements based on specific circumstances, but our standard model is 87%.)

What about benefits, taxes, etc.?

Teachers are independent contractors (standard in music education). They’re responsible for their own taxes and benefits, but they earn enough to afford them—unlike at traditional schools where exploitative wages make this impossible.

Join Our Cooperative Approach to Music Education

Whether you’re a student seeking exceptional instruction or a teacher looking for fair compensation and professional respect, Kalman Music offers a better way.

For Students: Book your free trial lesson and experience what teaching looks like when instructors are valued, respected, and fairly compensated.

For Teachers: If you’re a professional musician interested in joining our cooperative, contact us about teaching opportunities.

Kalman Music: Where fair pay for teachers meets exceptional education for students. Manhattan & Brooklyn music lessons from professional performing musicians in a sustainable, transparent cooperative model.